Brandbite #22 How bright is your tattoo? Building brand equity. As business leaders, brand managers or entrepreneurs, we all strive to convert our branding initiatives and investments into sustainable brand equity—an asset on the balance sheet, a higher stock price or an increased market cap impacting an acquisition or exist strategy. There is no universal formula for measuring the worth or equity in a brand. There is a diverse range of objectives and factors that can affect the best method and outcome. As a general rule, brand equity describes the monetary and mental value of the brand and its attributes. The more you build, the stronger and less vulnerable your brand is. In my next five Brandbites, I will address the driving factors behind building brand equity:     1. Be the expert. Rule your category.     2. Maintain top-of-mind awareness.     3. Connect emotionally.     4. Communicate in clear and consistent voice on all touch points.     5. Uphold stellar integrity in brand promotion and performance, and     in your relationships with brand buyers. These factors apply to mega companies, small start-ups and even personal brands. Every time you deliver on these behaviors, you make a deposit in your brand equity fund. Every time you fall short on one of these, you lose brand potency and value. How are you doing on all of these equity builders? Does the math add up? Brand on!

Karen Post helps organizations and professionals prosper with a powerful brand. She is a 20-year branding enthusiast, professional speaker, and author of Brain Tattoos, Creating Unique Brands that Stick to Customers' Minds. If you’d like to learn more about branding, read her monthly column at Fastcompany.com and visit www.brandingdiva.com. You may also call her at 813.250.1730.